Several farms in Kuwait are open to the public or offer open days on weekends and welcome visitors. Photos show a recent visit to Yasmin Farms in Wafra. Other farms open for visitors include Bab Dokalh, Bohayra and Sadeer in Abdaly (information and directions for all can be found on their Instagram accounts.). — Photos by Jamie Etheridge

During the cooler winter months in Kuwait, many people prefer to spend time outdoors and a new activity now available is visiting local farms. Several farms in Wafra and Al-Abdaly are open to the public and accept visitors, either daily or on weekends. Though there is no official list, farms like Bab Dokalh, Bohayra and Sadeer in Abdaly and Yasmin in Wafra welcome visitors and offer a pleasant, refreshing break from the stress of urban life.

On a recent sunny but cool Saturday, we hit Road 40 with our kids and some friends to visit the popular Yasmin Farm in Wafra. An hour's journey from Kuwait City, the drive to Wafra is far from boring thanks to hundreds of ideas for car games for the kids and the interesting things we saw along the way. The drive down provides a beautiful, scenic view of Kuwait's open desert, lots of camping grounds and if you're lucky, a chance to see a few small herds of camels strolling along the highway and eating shrubs.

Upon reaching the farm, we found a quaint open ground with places to park, a café and shop and a place to buy tickets. A golf cart took us on a tour with a guide to show us the agricultural fields and livestock comprising of sheep, goats, cows and chickens.

We then stopped at a small petting zone, which had a great influence on the kids, as they interacted closely with farm animals and camels. They bottle-fed kids (baby goats), played with the bunnies and turtles and petted the camels. They also watched baby ducklings and chicks, wandering around with amazement and laughter.

Without doubt, parents are encouraged to take their children for a similar experience due its huge benefits. One of the main reasons is to detach them from electronics, as many of them are now glued to smartphones and tablets.  Another reason is to educate them about the origins of their food, along with getting some refreshing and clean air away from urban pollution.

At the end of our tour, another golf cart took us back to the playground area of the farm behind the cafe. There are long tables for large families to picnic, while the kids can play. The farm has some grills available for hire as well. You can wrap up your trip with a visit to the farm store, where you can buy fresh produce and preserves.

By Athoob Al-Shuaibi